Vietnamese Coffee Beans

(part 1)

Welcome to the Vietnamese Coffee 101 series for Vietnamese coffee lovers and enthusiasts

This article takes a deeper look at Vietnamese coffee beans, divided into two parts. Today, we will discuss popular Vietnamese coffee beans, their processing methods, and the flavours they exhibit. Let's explore together!

Robusta Dominance

Vietnam is the second-largest coffee producer worldwide, primarily known for its Robusta coffee beans. These beans thrive in Vietnam's climate and soil conditions, significantly contributing to the country's coffee industry. Robusta coffee has a mild aroma, a characteristic bitter taste, and high caffeine content. The brewed coffee has a viscous brown colour. Additionally, Vietnamese coffee lovers appreciate the astringency of Robusta coffee, leading to the creation of diverse drink types.

Arabica Presence

While Robusta beans dominate Vietnam's coffee production, Arabica beans are also grown in regions with higher elevations, like Dalat and Son La. Arabica beans are valued for their nuanced flavours and are often cultivated by speciality coffee producers. Arabica coffee has a unique sour taste mixed with bitterness after undergoing the fermentation process. The brewed coffee is light brown and clear like amber. Particularly, Arabica coffee grown in different geographical regions has some unique flavours. The higher the elevation of the region where it is grown and harvested, the better the coffee tastes.

Weasel Coffee

Weasel coffee, also known as kopi luwak, is a type of processed coffee. Weasels eat coffee cherries, digest the outer shell, and swallow the pulp and seeds. Since weasels cannot digest coffee beans, they excrete them. The weasel's stomach enzymes ferment the excreted coffee beans. When brewed, the coffee's bitterness is reduced, and the flavour is stronger and more delicious than regular coffee. The enzymes also break down the flavour structure, giving the coffee a faint chocolate aroma, which is bitter but very pleasant. Weasel coffee production is minimal because weasels are selective eaters. This means that weasel coffee beans are chosen from the best quality coffee beans by expert weasels. The aroma of weasel coffee has many layers, including ripe fruit, coffee, chocolate, and malt. This layered aroma is why weasel coffee is so expensive.

Flavor Profiles

Vietnamese Robusta beans have bold, earthy flavours with hints of chocolate and nuttiness. In contrast, Arabica beans offer a wider range of flavour profiles, including floral, fruity, and acidic notes, depending on the region and processing method. Compared to Arabica, Robusta has a harsh and strong bitter taste, intensified by the dry processing and dark roasting of almost all Vietnam's Robusta beans. This is why local coffee drinkers use sweetened condensed milk to balance it out.

Unique Processing Methods

Vietnamese coffee beans are often processed using unique methods, like sun-drying or wet processing. Traditional Vietnamese coffee production includes wet hulling, which gives the beans a distinctive flavour profile. Vietnamese coffee beans are typically processed using either the wet or dry method. The wet method involves pulping and fermenting the beans before washing and drying, resulting in a cleaner, brighter flavour profile. In the dry method, beans are dried with the cherry intact, which can impart fruity, fermented notes to the final cup. The roasting process also involves adding butter and wine and brewing the coffee under certain temperature conditions, which creates the speciality flavour of Vietnamese coffee beans.

Vietnamese Coffee Blends

Vietnamese coffee is typically enjoyed as a blend of Robusta and Arabica beans, offering a balance of body, acidity, and aroma. These blends are often used in popular Vietnamese coffee preparations like ca phe sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk) or ca phe sua nong (hot Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk). Because Arabica imparts a sour taste and Robusta provides a strong caffeine taste, Vietnamese coffee is usually a mix of these two varieties in a 70:30 ratio. The blend is primarily Robusta, with Arabica added to provide pleasant acidity and aroma. Conversely, blends can primarily consist of Arabica to create richness for Italian-style espresso, depending on user preference.

In the next part, we will discuss coffee’s sustainable practices, how it is in demand globally, and its innovations. Part 2 to be continued…